Parent Control allows you to create a safe online environment for your children. Once you have registered your child's device with Mobile Guardian, the next step is to configure their restrictions profile. This guide will help you manage their online experience and ensure a safe space is maintained.
What You Will Learn:
The Two Types of Restriction Profiles
The Baseline
The baseline profile is a set of pre-configured restrictions and settings that apply as a foundation for your child's device. This profile acts as a safety net on a day-to-day basis when no other rule is being applied.
Steps to Manage or View the Baseline:
- Click on the gear icon of the child you wish to view or edit.
- Select Settings.
- This will take you to an empty settings menu where you can configure the settings/restrictions.
A Baseline profile remains on the device at all times as the "safety net."
Once the setup is complete, navigate back to the home dashboard. The active profile on your child's device should be displayed as "Active Profile: [Child's Name] Baseline Profile."
The Rule
A Rule is a set of restrictions and settings applied to your child's device at a specific date/time or location. These rules can be triggered immediately, bypassing the schedule or location settings.
Rule Scenarios:
- Homework Time: A profile is created for Mary when she is at home or her grandma's house during scheduled homework time (3 PM - 4 PM during the week). During this time, Mary cannot access YouTube and has medium levels of safe content filtering.
If Mary goes to a tutor after school, you can manually apply the homework profile rule and stop it once Mary has completed her tutoring.
#Note: A rule can be used on multiple devices, allowing you to apply the Homework Time profile to both Bob and Mary.
Creating a Rule
Steps to Create a Rule:
- Login to the Parent Dashboard with your email and password.
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Select the Gear Icon on the child card you wish to edit.
- You can either select Create Rule from the drop-down menu or click Settings and then Create a Rule under the device name on the card.
- Rule Creation Screen: Name your rule, confirm the child to apply the rule, and set application parameters (manual, schedule, or location).
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Configurations:
- Use predefined Zones or Schedules for when or where the rule will apply. You can use one or both.
- The default Anytime or Anywhere option is available for manually applying the rule.
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Add Restrictions:
- Click on the gear icon and then Settings. Under the Rules heading, you will see the rule you created. Preview the rule parameters and configure the appropriate web restrictions and app management.
For more details on managing restrictions, refer to this article.
How to Apply a Rule
Applying Rules:
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Running Rule: A rule set up using a schedule or zone. It becomes active when triggered by the schedule or location.
- The child's device will switch from the baseline profile to the rule. Once the schedule is complete or the device leaves the set zone, the rule ends, and the device reverts to the baseline profile.
- Overriding Rule: Manually triggered outside of scheduled times and zones, immediately applying your selected rule.
Steps to Apply an Override Rule:
- Click on the Gear Icon of the child card and select Apply Rule.
- Select the rule you wish to apply, such as the Homework Time profile.
- Set a duration for the rule or select the option to manually stop the rule.
- Click Save to apply the override. The child card will display the active profile with a countdown if a time period is set.
#Note: If you choose the "Until I cancel it" option, remember to turn off the override rule to prevent it from continuously overriding the schedules. The rule will revert to its original state once the timer runs out or if manually stopped.
School-Linked Device
If your child's device is linked to their school, the active profile will be set by the school during school hours.
Congratulations! You now know how to create and apply rules to manage your child's online experience effectively.
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